The purpose of energy generators is to maintain a defined electromechanical force between either terminals of an electric charge or any electromechanical device to move, heat, illuminate, resonate or to supply energy for any human intention, including the process of charge and discharge of accumulators through energy transformation.
The methods for charging accumulators are well known. The most conventional consists of applying direct current through the accumulators. Besides simple, this method can cause increase of the temperature and excess of gases, requiring a long period for the total recharge of the accumulator.
This charging period could be reduced by applying discharging pulses between charging pulses, as described on U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,673 by BURKETT et al.
An even greater reduction on the charging period could be obtained interspacing a specific rest period between the discharge pulse and the recharge pulse as described on U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,225 by PODRAZHANSKY et al. The same inventor has improved this patent through the application of charging pulses in direct current separated by specifics rest periods after the recharge, followed by multiple depolarizing pulses complemented by respective rest periods after these multiple discharge pulses, as described on PCT/US 96/11466. While on patent application WO 00/76050, this inventor discloses a battery charger with enhanced charging and charge measurement processes with a bipolar waveform, which can be in the form of sine waves, or other wave shapes. The charge pulse is preferably followed by a small technical rest period, after which a discharge pulse is applied, followed, in turn, by a rest period. The bipolar waveform is superimposed on one or more of the above. A second discharge pulse is then applied followed by another rest period. A second bipolar waveform is superimposed on either the second discharge pulse or the second rest period. The second bipolar waveform allows a measurement of the battery capacitance to be obtained and an evaluation of the charge of the battery to be derived. The charge cycle is repeated until a measured battery parameter attains a desired value indicative of a charged battery.
On patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,425, PETROVIC presents a waveform with long period recharging pulses of approximately 60 to 180 seconds, separated by two rest periods interspersed by a discharge period of 10 to 20 seconds.
GLEITER et al (Charge-Induced Reversible Strain in a Metal, Science Magazine, Apr. 11, 2003, Vol. 300, p. 312-315) describes that reversible strain amplitudes can be induced in metals by introducing electrical charges, mainly in metals with extremely high surface-to-volume ratio. On patent DE 19952447,5 (PCT/EP00/10079) GLEITER exposes that the aim of the invention is to produce a nanoporous metal device susceptible to several applications.
TIMOSHENKO, et al (Theory of Elastic Stability. New York: McGraw-Hill, Second Edition, 1963. p. 470-485) when relating experimental results on thin shells suffering reversible deformations, i.e., simultaneously placing under compression and under tension the symmetrical sides of metallic shells of high ratio between diameter and thickness (D/t) through bending tests, concludes that “The discrepancy between experiment and theory is larger for thinner shells”. It was showed through graphics and formulas that different metallic alloys have the same critical curve when they have the same ratios of D/t and E/σy. Therefore, the critical curve for both brass and steel is the curve “545” given by the relation E/σy=545, as shown on FIG. 1. With the results found on axial-compression and bending tests on thin tubes of steel and brass, the author concludes that the values found for the critical stress are about 1.4 times those found in axial-compression tests for all values of diameter/thickness (D/t).
New energy sources have been searched as alternatives of the background art so far presented, such as the zero point energy (ZPE). PUTHOFF (“Can the Vacuum be Engineered for Space flight applications?”, NASA Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Workshop, Aug. 12-14,1997, NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio), recognizes that the “quantum vacuum is an enormous reservoir of untapped energy, with energy densities conservatively estimated by Feynman and others to be on the order of nuclear energy densities or greater”. Therefore, the question posted by PUTHOFF is: “Can the ZPE be ‘mined’ for practical use?” Further, PUTHOFF mentions that several experimental formats for tapping the zero point energy for practical use are under investigation in his laboratory. For instance, one of the latest patent published yet that tries to use the zero point energy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,167 by PINTO, adopt the Casimir effect, that is mechanical forces to generate energy.